Crystal Swan
by Enilorac Eiram
Summary: After running from Ingrid, Emma Swan hops a train and ends up in Delmarva, where she meets the many colorful citizens of Beach City. Among them is Rose Quartz, a human-loving Crystal Gem with a soft spot for lost souls. Whether or not this is the place she can finally belong, Emma's adventures with the Crystal Gems will change her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For the people who have me on author alert regarding Angel Beats fics, let me just say out of the bottom of my heart... my bad.**

**(But if you have any tips on writing about skiing for my ski resort arc let me know lmao)**

**It's just that this is a painfully unused crossover and I had to write it. Can't promise regular updates because I started this in mid-late February and only finished the first chapter _today_, but... I gotta get this out there. I do have ideas as to where I want to go with it, though! So without further ado, I give you... Crystal Swan.**

* * *

_Delmarva, 1999_

Below a starry open sky, Emma Swan breathed heavily in the field as the train rumbled past on the tracks. She brushed off the straw that clung to her jacket and wool hat and hugged herself tight, little puffs of air clouding in the autumn evening. Minnesota was now two days behind her, but thanks to her hasty jump and tumble, she was aching and cold and she didn't know exactly where she was.

It was a small price to pay to get away from everything. Better to leap from a train than be dragged into the path of an oncoming car.

Adjusting her wool cap over her ears, Emma turned to study her surroundings. This place was pretty scenic; did it have log cabins or something nearby? She'd need to find shelter soon, now that she'd abandoned her ride.

And her… well, her _foster _home.

It'd been about a week since she ran away from Richfield and never looked back. Minnesota was nothing but a series of "could've" and "buts" for her. She could've been chosen at the orphanage, but there was always someone younger than her. Could've lived freely with a best friend who understood, but Lily was a liar who actually had parents looking for her. Could've had a foster family who loved and trusted her, but Lily showed up and robbed them blind.

Most recently, she could've finally been adopted, could've finally had someone steady to rely on... but then Ingrid had to ruin everything by insisting she had powers and almost _killing_ her.

After that, all she'd wanted was to go somewhere far away. Somewhere Lily and Ingrid and all their issues would never find her. So, in the spirit of Harry Potter, she'd hopped a train in Minneapolis and let it take her anywhere else.

Obviously this wasn't Hogwarts. It wasn't Richfield either. The air smelled like fields and faintly of ocean, like the nights Emma stood outside her group home in Boston wondering if she should just give up and run away again. It was for that reason the east coast had an unmistakable bittersweet scent to it she could never forget.

But where…?

Only one way to find out. Emma shifted her backpack on her shoulder and started walking down the dirt path, towards a glow of city light in the distance.

Passing through the trees, she picked up a stick from the ground and swished it around, pretending she was a witch exploring the Forbidden Forest. Safely stored away in her bag was her copy of _Sorcerer's Stone, _which she'd been rereading the past couple of days. Though it kept her thoughts busy during the train ride, now it just made her think of Ingrid even more.

There were no lights shooting out of her "wand," no spells stilling the water as she crossed the river on an overturned tree. She couldn't say "_Lumos" _and light up the area when she heard twigs snapping or other suspicious noises. It would be way cool if she could, but magic was fiction. Ingrid said it herself that night. She really had to be out of her mind if she thought Emma had any special powers.

_Only someone like that would ever want you,_ said a voice in her head. _You're no one special. You're just like the rest of us._

_All alone._

Once again, Deirdre was right. That bully from her first group home in Minnesota. She hated thinking about her after all these years, but she was right.

It was her birthday, and she was alone.

To think, a week before, she actually believed she'd be celebrating with her soon-to-be adoptive mother. Imagine, _Emma Swan, _spending her sweet sixteenth inside a warm house with cocoa and cupcakes and family. What a joke.

The forest opened up into a vast, rolling field. She could see telephone lines and occasional headlights drifting through the darkness, highlighting a town sign. Beyond that, a water tower stood tall above some trees on the other side of the road. Finally she was getting somewhere.

Her stomach growled. Shouldn't have gotten herself thinking about food.

Emma reached the edge of the street a few minutes later, just as another car's headlights illuminated the sign on its way out. And another. And one more.

"Now leaving—"

_Flash._

"—Beach City—"

_Flash._

"Sea ya later!"

She smiled faintly at the cartoonish seagull's speech bubble, but then her brow furrowed. Beach City. It didn't tell her much – she'd never even heard of it before. Guess she'd just have to go into town and get a map, figure out where the hell she was... maybe find something to eat.

It was her birthday, after all. She'd saved good money sneaking onto the train instead of hopping a bus somewhere. Besides, it wasn't like Hagrid was going to show up with a frosted cake, and…

Man, she was only making it worse.

The sound of faint electric guitar riffs on the air beckoned Emma onward. The water tower she passed was painted with waves, and when she finally reached town, the first thing she saw to her left was a large boardwalk amusement park labeled "Funland." She was almost surprised it was closed for the season; everything about this place felt like an eternal spring break. Right down to what seemed like a mini concert at the far end of the beach.

It was as if she'd stepped into a liminal space. She kind of liked it. Who would come to look for her here, in a tiny beachside mystery town? It could be her little secret.

Stopping under a streetlight, Emma glanced at a nearby time and temperature sign. 7:42 pm. What was her game plan for tonight? Scope out the place for shelter, maybe. There might be an unused summer beach house she could sleep in if she was lucky. But first, birthday stuff. She patted her pant pockets, searching for the cash she had left over from Ingrid's allowances.

Maybe if she kept a low profile she could stretch this out for a couple of months. End the millennium somewhere peaceful…

"Hi, girlie! Are we a little lost?"

Emma jumped, almost losing the backpack off her shoulder. She turned to see a stocky blonde woman smiling broadly at her, a brown box tucked securely under her arm. The woman gave a hearty laugh at Emma's startled expression.

"Sorry if I scared ya," she said. "It's just that I haven't seen you around before, and I worked at the Beach City Visitor Center long enough to have a keen eye for newbies." With that, she extended her free hand. "Name's Barb!"

Emma stared at Barb's hand for a moment, expertly covering a wince. So much for laying low.

"I'm Emma," she said once she'd composed herself with a smile, and they shook. "Actually, I'm visiting a friend—" (_if the beach counts as a friend_) "—and I'm not sure where the grocery store is…? I just need to pick up some stuff."

"Ah, no problem!" Slinging an arm around Emma's shoulder, she guided her to the right and gestured down the road. "See over there, the sign that says Boardwalk Street? Follow it all the way down so you're heading toward that big cliff. There's a convenience store on the corner of Boardwalk and Thayer. Right behind the T-shirt shop, ya can't miss it."

"Got it," Emma said, adjusting her backpack strap. Barb had a _really _strong arm.

"I was just in the area myself," she continued, patting the lid of her box. "Getting a box of donuts for my little girl Sadie and me."

Emma hesitated, looking hopefully at the box and then at Barb. "…Donuts?"

"Bear claws!" Barb clarified, a knowing beam spreading across her cheerful face. "They're a Miller favorite."

"Mine too," Emma said softly. Her stomach growled again, loud enough for the whole town to hear. She blushed profusely but Barb only grinned.

"Well, that's two seagulls with one stone! The Big Donut is so close to the store you could cartwheel to it." To Emma's surprise, she fished her wallet from her pocket and slapped a five dollar bill in her palm. "Go get yourself some bear claws, sister – it's on me!"

Emma blinked, her mind going a bit fuzzy. "Wow… are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Consider it an investment in the authentic Beach City experience."

"Thanks a lot." Clutching the bill in her fist, she shook her thoughts clear and headed in the direction Barb had pointed.

"No problem," Barb said. Then, as she was nearly a block away, she yelled after her, "JUST TELL THE BIG DONUT THEY MIGHT AS WELL HIRE ME FOR PR!"

Emma shook her head with a small laugh and continued on. What even was this town?

* * *

At the store, Emma had enough allowance money for a small pack of star candles and some matches. Then she bought a single bear claw and took her celebration closer to the ocean. It was after eight now, and the mystery guitarist must've packed up for the night, because the beach was all hers. She sat down on a bench, setting her bags and backpack next to her, and stared up at the sky.

This really must be a liminal space. She'd never seen the stars so clearly anywhere else. The waves crashed against the shore and sprayed a sweet, salty scent into the wind. It was getting kind of cold, even for her jacket, so Emma pulled a ragged blanket from her pack and draped it over her legs.

What a place…

She'd grabbed a map at the store before she left. Apparently Beach City was a town in Delmarva. And at the same time it felt so secluded from Minnesota and the rest of the world that she might as well be in that shack on the rocks – the one where the Dursleys tried to hide Harry from the letters.

Except… she didn't have a Dursley. She didn't have anyone anymore. It was just her tonight.

Was that better?

Emma frowned, her fingers crinkling restlessly at the donut bag. Ingrid was really about to adopt her a week ago. Despite what she said about the sister thing, she would've actually had a mother. But what kind of mother would almost get her child run over? What kind of mom would put her in danger like that? At least her birth mother had the sense to leave her by the _side _of the road!

…And _that_ was a depressing comparison point. She sighed and started determinedly picking the candles free of their packaging. The plastic edge bit at her finger, and she hissed in pain and nursed the wound. Where were those magic powers of hers now, huh?

Hell, she would _love _to not have to do things the muggle way. She would _love _to be in a world with magic and cool weapons and mystical creatures.

Maybe in a world like that, there would be happy endings. She could do cool stuff like teleport all over the world, or fight epic battles, or use her powers to save the day. Or actually find a family who wanted her. Who wouldn't give her up, or get tired of her, or choose someone else. Who would make her big, warm, scratchy sweaters with family symbols on them like the Weasleys.

Okay, possibly not that last one… but the thought did make her smile a bit.

As it was, Emma didn't use any magic to get the star candles out of their package. She held up the yellow one in triumph, twirling the toothpick end thoughtfully.

Maybe it was safer this way. Maybe she did better on her own.

She placed the candle carefully in the bear claw's frosted center, a little magic wand nestled in pure doughy bliss, and lit the wick. The flame sputtered but ultimately stood strong against the evening breeze. Satisfied, she closed her eyes.

"Make a wish, Emma," she muttered.

And sometimes the people who don't believe in wishes are the ones that have one close at hand. Emma Swan made her wish and blew out the candle before the wax had even begun to drip.

Smoke tickled at her lungs, mixing pleasantly with the sea air, but she didn't open her eyes. She just wanted to pretend… for one more moment…

"Did it work?"

Emma's eyes flew open with a sharp gasp. Why did people in this town keep sneaking up on her?!

When she peeked to her left, she could not believe what she was seeing. A giant, _majestically _large woman was leaning over the back of the bench with intense curiosity in her starry black eyes. She had a mane of pink curls – _natural?_ – spilling over broad shoulders, and was wearing a flowing strapless white gown with a pink gem in her navel. She looked totally unreal.

"Oh," said the giantess, straightening up. "Maybe I wasn't supposed to ask that. Or else it won't come true. Or isn't it when you _tell _someone what you wish for…?"

"It won't come true either way," Emma replied doubtfully, still staring at her as she removed the candle. "It's just a wish."

"But it could, and it seems like fun!" she countered. Her voice was softer than Barb's but just as cheerful, kind of melodic and like she was on the cusp of laughter. "Human games, and traditions, are so fascinating to me. That's why I couldn't help but notice you were making a wish on a _donut_." At this she'd fallen into a giggle fit, tears of mirth twinkling at the corners of her eyes. "It's so _different_… I love that!"

Emma stared. _Human…?_ She couldn't be sure whether or not a tornado had fallen upon this bench and sent her to a different realm when she wasn't looking.

"Usually you wish on stars, or put candles on cakes, right?" The woman sobered up with a slight apologetic smile as she peered at Emma. "But when Greg wishes on cake, he has a lot of people crowd around to watch…"

Rounding the bench, she stood towering before Emma in all her enormous cherubic glory, her face alight with awkward wonder.

"So I thought maybe I'd join you in case you needed someone."

From this angle, it was easier to see just how gigantic this woman was. Emma had never seen anyone this tall in her entire life (she had to be even taller than Andre the Giant). But she had seen the look in this woman's eyes before. It was the same look she'd see in the police station when a detective was trying to figure out who she was, or where she belonged. Where they would put her next.

"I don't need anyone," she mumbled under her breath, turning her gaze to her lap.

"I see," came the giantess's voice, gentle and calm. "What's your name?"

Slowly she looked back up, surreptitiously studying a moonlike face. So many of her instincts were telling her not to fall prey to warmth and kind words, and yet she wasn't even sure the figure standing in front of her was real.

"Emma," she said at last.

Quietly, the giantess sat down next to her on the bench. "Why are you all alone, Emma?"

The question was posed so softly that Emma couldn't help but hesitate. She glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, then frowned anew and resolutely stared ahead as she took a big bite out of her bear claw.

The woman wasn't deterred. A chuckle faded as her voice grew softer still. "Why wasn't your family with you when you made a wish?"

Emma looked down at the hand that lightly fell over both of hers. "Don't have one."

She was a little surprised at how easily the truth slipped past her lips. That was what they all wanted to hear, in the end – that she was some homeless orphan they could take off the streets and put back into the system and dust off their hands at a job well done. She guessed she just didn't want to waste another second. More importantly, did she even care anymore?

Her answer seemed to puzzle the giantess as well.

"You don't have a family?" She blinked, as if caught off-guard by such a thing. "But all humans have parents, don't they? Especially younger humans."

"Not all of them," Emma said, bitterly playing along. Maybe she'd hit her head when she jumped from the train and now she was dreaming. "Some parents die – or, you know, in my case, abandon their child by the side of the road with only a name and a blanket."

The giantess gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "An orphaned human...!"

It was her patronizing coo that made Emma finally snap. She'd heard it so many times in "well-meaning" strangers before and she was sick of it.

"Why do you keep specifying 'human' like you're not?" she asked abruptly, snapping her head over to squint at her. "What are you, some kind of alien or something? Who _are _you?"

Though Emma's brusqueness took her aback at first, the woman smiled graciouslyat her in return.

"Of course, how rude of me," she said with a good-natured laugh. "No, I'm not a human. I'm Rose. Rose Quartz. I'm a Crystal Gem—" she gestured to the rose-colored gem where her belly button should be, "and though alien has been used to describe us before… no, the Earth is my home. It's where I belong."

Emma cast Rose a lingering sidelong stare, briefly eyeing the woman's gem. Why had she thought it was just some big navel piercing? She didn't really know. There was just something about this place that she was willing to go along with anything.

"Well, at least you have a home," she replied, raising her half-eaten bear claw to her lips.

"Isn't Earth your home too?" Rose asked, head tilted with a prompting smile.

Emma snorted. "Pretty broad definition of the word."

"Maybe so," Rose said agreeably. She clasped her hands in her lap and sat with Emma in companionable silence for a minute or two while they watched the tide roll in.

This was kind of nice. Peaceful. Presently Emma wondered if she'd gotten the wrong idea about Rose. Even if the woman tried to turn her in or something, authorities would be much more interested in a giant person with a gemstone stomach.

Seriously, what was up with that thing?

"You must have quite a story," said Rose, breaking into her thoughts. Emma side-eyed her but Rose didn't break her serene gaze out over the ocean. "No home, no family, just a young girl sitting on the beach making a wish." She laughed lightly and picked up the discarded star candle. "I've never seen you here before, Emma. What kind of adventure brought you here to Beach City? I bet it's been _exciting._"

Emma laughed too, hers more dry and humorless. "Sure, if you call being dragged in front of a moving car exciting."

Rose startled at this, turning to her with bewildered worry. "What do you mean?"

A sigh from Emma. She'd started pouring her heart out already, might as well keep going. For all her oddities, Rose was at least a good listener.

"I had a home before," she admitted. "I mean, they weren't really homes. Just places to keep kids like me off the street until we aged out of the system or someone decided they actually wanted one of us."

"The system," Rose repeated, a more serious expression creasing her features. "That doesn't sound like a very nice place for children."

"It's not." Emma swallowed another piece of bear claw. "They put you in there when there's no one else to take you. And then they forget about you. Your best chance is if you're really young and cute. Like, there was this one couple, and they took me in when I was a baby but three years later they had their own kid so they sent me back."

Rose gave a small, sharp intake of breath, and her eyebrows furrowed in a state of offended confusion. Which was honestly much better than mindless pity. It was like she actually heard the injustice in the situation. Like it personally wounded her too.

Encouraged, but no less dour, Emma toed at the sand beneath their feet as she went on.

"When you're an orphan in the system, you might as well be invisible," she said. "Sometimes people pretend to care about you but they don't. You're an afterthought. After the younger cuter kids, after their own. I ran away a few times but I'd get caught and brought back. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?"

"Yeah," Rose said quietly. "They only notice you when you've done something wrong."

Emma hesitated, looking at her curiously. "Exactly…"

"They just want you to know your place and stay out of the way."

Silence fell between them just as heavily as that truth. Emma put away her bear claw and curled up the paper bag, setting it on the other side of the bench. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves.

"This other couple took me in almost a year ago," she continued, fingering the fringe of her blanket. "They had two sons already, so it wasn't like they couldn't have their own kids. One day we were all packing to go on a camping trip together… I actually thought I was going to be part of their happy family."

She chuckled bitterly and clutched the fabric in her clenched fists, even now shaking her head at her own naivety.

"But then someone from my past who… pretended to be my friend, she – she tricked me and came in and stole their vacation money. And then the couple said to me, 'You endangered our children' and I knew. I knew I was never one of them. I was just there to make them feel like good people." She wrinkled her nose, clenching her teeth as she felt pinpricks of tears start up. "So I did what was best for everyone, and I just _ran_."

"And they didn't care enough to stop you," Rose murmured, more to the sky than to Emma.

"Too much trouble." Emma shrugged. "They probably eventually reported me missing or as a runaway, I guess, since they had to. Because the cops found me a week later and sent me to another foster home with this lady named Ingrid."

Emma winced at the memories that came with the mention of her name. It was one thing to think of her in passing, but another to speak of her like she might be nearby to hear it.

"And she was pretty cool, or so I thought," she continued with a wry grin. "She stood up for me to this one kid and let me prank him with fake spiders."

Rose laughed merrily. "She sounds like fun." There was a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Emma could only nod at this; in spite of everything, the least she could say about Ingrid was that she'd been fun.

"We did everything together. Staying up late drinking cocoa, listening to music, playing games at arcades and carnivals…" Emma drew a heavy breath, remembering when life had finally started to look up. "She was even filling out the paperwork for adoption."

"What's that?" Rose asked, sounding intrigued.

"It's when you legally – officially – become someone's parent or guardian," Emma told her matter-of-factly. "Not like a foster home. You're family and it's permanent. Or it's supposed to be."

Rose's whole face lit up, literal stars returning to her eyes. "You can do that?" she breathed. "Be a mother to a child even if you didn't create it yourself?"

"In Ingrid's case, she wanted to be like my big sister," Emma recalled. "But yeah, we were going to be a family."

The woman continued to look happy, and then the stars faded. "I suppose, since you're here, that didn't work out very well."

"Not at all, really," Emma replied with a scoff, "considering a week later she dragged me in front of an oncoming car that almost killed me."

Rose gaped at her, horrified. "Why would she do something like that?"

Rolling her eyes, Emma bunched up the fabric of her blanket. "She thought I had magical powers or something. Wanted me to use them to stop the car."

Rose gave her a thorough once-over, studying her intensely as if searching for something in particular. "Do you?"

Emma squinted back at her, a little bemused at the wonder in her voice. She was serious…? Well, she _was _talking to a woman with a gemstone embedded in her stomach.

"I wish," she confessed after a beat, and reached for her backpack. The stick wand from earlier was poking through a small unzipped hole. She fished it out and examined it thoughtfully. "I ran away after that because she was obviously crazy. But it's not like it wouldn't be cool if it were true. Sometimes I do wish my life was like Harry Potter, and one day a Hagrid would come along and tell me I'm someone special."

"But you _are _special," Rose insisted, placing a hand over hers. "You're a human being. That in itself is extraordinary. I…" She managed a wistful smile, something faraway and nostalgic with a hint of pain. "We gems, where I come from we all have a specific purpose… build, lead, serve, look beautiful, tell the future. And that's all we're ever meant to do with our lives, for thousands of years. We're told who we are and that's who we are."

She turned more fully to face Emma, squeezing her hands in hers.

"But you – you fight for your life. For a voice, and a bigger purpose. For somewhere to belong." Her eyes grew sad and cut to the side. "I know it must be hard to feel lost your whole life. To feel like you have to run."

Then, as suddenly as her somberness had come, it was replaced with a warm and mellow fondness.

"I'm glad that it brought you here."

Emma glanced around at everything – at the Big Donut behind them, the beautiful starlit beach, the boardwalk and city lights – and let herself smile as she looked back to Rose. "I'm glad too."

Rose raised her eyebrows at her almost encouragingly.

"Maybe, you could… belong _here_…?"

Before Emma could answer, a male voice rang out in the distance. "Hey, Rose!"

Both Rose and Emma glanced instinctively towards the source, where a guy possibly in his mid-twenties had come around the corner and was loping across the beach towards them. He had waist-length wild brown hair and was wearing a black t-shirt with torn sleeves and a huge gold star in the middle. Guy looked like he belonged in an 80s rock music video.

"Rose!" he repeated, stopping to catch his breath once he'd reached them. "What's the big idea? I've been alone with the three stooges for fifteen minutes!"

"Sorry, Greg," Rose said in almost a singsong voice, her demeanor instantly changing into a different type of sugar and sunbeams as she gazed lovingly at him. She stood up, and when Emma did as well, the woman gestured over to her. "I was just making a new friend."

Greg's gaze shifted and he offered Emma a friendly smile. "Oh, hey. Sorry to barge in and interrupt like that." He extended his hand. "Name's Greg Universe!"

"Emma. Swan." They shook.

"We don't see a lot of new faces outside of tourist season," said Greg, scratching at his hair. "Did you just move here with the folks?"

"Actually, she's here by herself," Rose said before she could answer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Greg's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Not that it's any of my business, but aren't you a little young to be off on your own?" he asked, and spared Rose a mild look of alarm. "Are you emancipated from your parents or something?"

"_Greeeeg_," Rose chided with a small gasp. "She doesn't have any!"

Emma cringed, looking back and forth between the two. She was starting to regret telling a stranger her whole entire sob story. Yes she felt like she could trust Rose not to go to the authorities, but what about this guy?

Though, he looked just as awkward and curiously apologetic. He seemed cool if not a bit concerned – you just never knew with some people.

"No parents? Guardians?" Greg asked, looking hugely uncertain and rubbing the back of his head. "What are you, fifteen? Sixteen? And you're just living on the street – is there a shelter or something? I feel like we should call someone—"

"No!" Emma blurted out. "Please… please, don't turn me in."

Wide-eyed Rose squeezed her arm protectively and gave Greg a troubled frown.

"Did you know they put orphaned human children in a _system_?" she said conspiratorially. "They grow up feeling lonely, and unwanted, and invisible. That's no way for anyone to live. Greg, we can't let her go back there."

Greg quickly put up both hands in surrender. "Hey, believe me, I'm not the type of guy to judge or narc. I went out on my own when I was pretty young myself. But she's just a kid. Nobody needs to go to the cops – I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't do something."

Rose nodded, determination glinting in her eyes as she looked to Emma.

"If she needs a place to stay, she can stay here at the temple! I'm sure it wouldn't be any trouble," she said with a decisive nod. "Would you like that?"

The offer made Emma blink twice in bewilderment. Was all of this real? Was this really happening?

"Rose, the temple isn't really a great shelter for humans," Greg said awkwardly. "It's almost November, and it gets really cold at night. That's kind of why I sleep in the van when I stay over."

"Oh, right," Rose chuckled ruefully, and then her eyes once again grew bright. "The van! _Greg_, is there enough room? Maybe she can stay with you in the van!"

Greg looked like a deer caught in headlights at the suggestion. "What?!"

"Come on, it would be fun! Then when you visit, I would get to see both of you."

"I really don't think letting a teenage girl sleep in my van with me would go over well with other people," Greg said weakly, pushing his bangs from his forehead.

Rose pouted. "Why not?"

"Tell you what, I'll talk to you about it sometime."

"Fine," Rose said with a sigh, and looked considering. "How about the car wash?"

"I dunno…"

"Um, guys?" Emma piped up, rubbing awkwardly at her wrist. "You really don't have to go to that much trouble for me. I didn't mean to get you guys tied up in my life or anything. I've always done fine on my own."

Both Greg and Rose turned to look at her in surprise, Greg's expression unsure and Rose's kind.

"But you're not alone anymore, Emma," said Rose, putting her hands on her shoulders and looking down at her kindly. "You're my friend, so please don't run away this time because I want to see you again. I want to care for you. I meant what I said – you could belong here, in Beach City." And then, in a quieter voice, "Do you want to stay?"

Emma faltered. This place still felt too unreal, did she dare get attached?

"Maybe," she said. "I don't want to go back."

"You don't have to," Rose said firmly. "We'll find you a place to stay. You won't ever have to worry about going back into the system again."

"How do you know?" Emma asked, refusing to put on the rose-tinted glasses. "How do you know someone won't suddenly decide to report the poor homeless orphan to the authorities? How—"

"Hold on a second," said Greg, the pensive look on his face transforming into a brilliant grin. "If you need someone who'll fight the man and go against the system, I think I know the perfect person." He flashed a thumbs up and a wink. "And she happens to be _very _hospitable."

Emma and Rose shared a glance, then fixed him with simultaneous questioning stares. Apparently even Rose didn't know what he was talking about.

Greg, however, remained cheerful as he led a march towards the boardwalk. "Emma, grab your bag. I have someone I'd like you to meet."

After Emma picked up her things, Greg led her and Rose down the boardwalk, past a t-shirt shop and promising food joints like Fish Stew Pizza and Beach Citywalk Fries. Then they headed a couple of blocks through town until they reached a quaint blue house with a purple curtain in place of a garage door. Greg walked up onto the front step and rang the doorbell.

Moments later, the front door opened to reveal a woman Greg's age with long blonde hair and a black leather jacket over what looked like a work shirt. She snapped a gum bubble at him, looking only vaguely surprised to see him.

"Greg," she said calmly. "I hardly recognized you without my couch under your butt. I actually see more of Amethyst than you these days."

"Hey Vidalia." Greg leaned against the doorframe trying to look cool. "Is this a good time?"

The woman shrugged. Then her gaze flicked past him in mild interest. "Who's the kid?"

"About that." Greg chanced a look over his shoulder at Emma, then turned to Vidalia with a sheepish smile. "As long as we're on the topic of past generosities… I'd kind of like to call in a huge favor?"

Crossing her arms, Vidalia lost her unamused frown and regarded Emma with a raised eyebrow. She popped her gum again.

"I'm listening."

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you think! I've never written for SU or purely for OUAT before. Hope I've got the characters right.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, it took another three months but I have an update for you all! I actually would've uploaded this on the 2nd, in time for the Steven Universe movie, but I wanted to wait to publish it _just _in time for my friend Zain's birthday on the 9th. Happy birthday Zain!**

**Also, thank you so much for your reviews, faves, follows, and patience! I actually hope it doesn't take until December to write a new chapter because you are all too kind.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Together, Rose and Greg explained the situation to Vidalia with minimum input necessary from Emma. She'd felt kind of weird showing up on a stranger's doorstep and having the two of them ask about a room for her, but Vidalia was actually pretty cool about it. In fact, she was a young mom in her mid-twenties and apparently this could work out nicely for both of them.

"You're in luck, Emma," she said, after everything had been talked out and the four of them were sitting in her kitchen. "Because my babysitter, who will remain nameless but rhymes with _'Betray-me,_' is kind of unreliable."

Her toddler son Sour Cream (yes, it was his real name) was sitting in his high chair coolly sipping at a juice box. He made a cute noise and batted at Vidalia's hand when she lightly pinched his cheek. Satisfied, the woman turned back to Emma with a slight smile.

"So, as long as you're okay with me calling you in to be the backup babysitter sometimes," Vidalia continued, mussing her son's hair, "if you look after Sour Cream and only get into a _reasonable _amount of trouble, I'd be happy to let you room for free here." She shrugged carelessly and added, "Who knows? Maybe if we work something out, you could get a little allowance. Does that sound alright with you?"

"Yeah," Emma blurted wholeheartedly. Kids were mostly potty-trained at Sour Cream's age, right? If it meant room and board, she was up for almost anything.

"Sour Cream's a pretty cool kid, and smart like me, so lucky for you we've almost said goodbye to diapers," Vidalia said as if reading her mind, arms crossed in casual pride. "But still, with my job and taking care of a toddler, the house gets kind of messy. I'm not gonna throw the 'chore' word around but if you did want to do some tidying up whenever you have the chance, I'd make it worth your while – 'cause you'd be really helping me out."

Emma gave a confident nod. "I can do that," she said. Back in Minnesota, she'd been fairly consistent with the Matthews's chore wheel so it wasn't anything new. Not a problem at all.

"Great, so it's settled then!" Leaning against the counter, Vidalia threw Greg a pointed smirk. "Guess I finally have a roommate who can not only talk but clean up after herself."

"You'll like Vidalia, she's real funny," Greg said dryly. Vidalia stuck her tongue out at him; Sour Cream took one look and quickly followed suit. Greg was going to retaliate, but then he glanced over their heads and his eyebrows shot up just as he did. "Whoa, Rose, look at the time! I told the gems I was gonna go look for you almost an hour ago!"

Rose jolted, as if struck with the same epiphany.

"Oh, I completely forgot!" she said, standing up along with him, and looked mildly embarrassed for a moment before her features relaxed into an expression of fond amusement. "Well, Garnet might already know where we are. All the same, I should be getting back. And you have to be at the car wash in the morning..." She nodded to Greg, and then laid a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Is this okay? Will you be alright staying here tonight?"

"She'll be fine," said Vidalia. "You guys go. I'll get her situated, show her around the place. Then after I put Sour Cream to b-e-d the two of us can get to know each other."

"Wonderful." Rose beamed at her, hands clasped in starry-eyed adoration. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Please come by the temple tomorrow if you can – the one just beyond the cliff by the beach. I want you to meet everyone."

"Sure," said Emma, meanwhile wondering exactly who _everyone _was. What kind of friends did Rose Quartz hang around with? The kind of friends who lived in a temple, apparently. Having a thought, she turned to Vidalia. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'm usually off work on Saturdays. Use that time to paint and hang out with my little man." She shared a look with Sour Cream, who baby-smirked at her. "'Sides, you're the _backup _sitter. The understudy, if you will." Vidalia snickered to herself for some reason, then waved a hand dismissively. "Have fun, take a walk around town and get to know our regulars. Beach Citywalk Fries has **amazing** onion rings."

"I prefer the bits, myself," Greg said aside to Emma.

He and Rose headed to the front door, thanking Vidalia and mussing Sour Cream's tuft of hair on their way out. The kid hrrmed at them and smoothed it back into place with a cool indignation. The front door squeaked open, bringing the night's cool October air into the house. Now that Emma was finally out of it, the breeze felt kind of nice.

The question was, how long would it last...?

"Hey, Emma!"

She broke out of that train of thought and glanced expectantly down the hallway. "Yeah?"

Greg and Rose exchanged a small smile, before Greg turned back to her with a cheesy thumbs up and a friendly wink.

"Welcome to Beach City."

* * *

After Greg and Rose had gone, and Sour Cream had been put to bed, Emma found herself sitting with Vidalia in front of the TV. Vidalia found out that all she'd eaten was a bear claw so she'd promptly whipped up some TV dinners for them to eat in the family room while they got to know each other and discussed the living situation.

"This was my grandparents' house," Vidalia had said as she flopped down next to Emma with a tray of fettuccine alfredo in hand. "I know, pretty punk rock of me, right?"

"And it's all yours?" Emma asked in awe. She'd been wondering how someone as young as Vidalia got a place fit for a family like the Matthews's. "It's really cool."

"Yeah, I think they knew one day either my mom was going to kick me out or I was going to run away, so they left it to me in their will." Vidalia smiled faintly, soft nostalgia taking over her features. She prodded at her noodles with a plastic fork. "I practically lived here already, my mom was always making me mad or running off to who-knows-where so I'd just hop on a bus to Beach City and come see them. Probably why I inherited the place – I visited them more than she did."

For a moment, Emma felt kind of wistful as she bit into a fish stick. She'd always wondered about her parents, and if she'd ever find them one day, but what about her grandparents? Did she even have any? Did they know about her? Wouldn't they have taken her in if they knew?

But knowing her own luck, they were probably dead and gone. Just like Vidalia's except without the leftover beach house waiting for her.

She liked Vidalia so far, so she didn't want to get all bitter about it. Instead, since she was feeling curious: "How old were you when you moved in?"

"Eighteen," she said promptly. "As soon as I could. My mom was going to kick me out after I graduated anyway since her boyfriend at the time didn't like me. Beach City was always my real home, I just finally made it official."

"You like it here?"

"Oh, yeah." She haphazardly twirled her noodles around her fork and took a lazy bite. "You'll love it, honestly. There's Funland, the arcade, the boardwalk, concerts on the beach… Greg's a little busier now that he works at the car wash, but he likes to perform a lot, good thing he's talented… But don't tell him I said that or it'll go to his head."

Emma laughed. "I won't, but he seems pretty down to Earth."

"First impressions, Emma," Vidalia said with a grin. She rested her head against the back of the couch, light blonde hair splaying everywhere. Emma couldn't help but notice how similar it looked to hers, like she was sitting next to her long lost older sister. "But yeah, I grew up loving this place. It's kind of like, I dunno—"

"—an eternal spring break?" Emma finished for her.

"Pretty much," Vidalia agreed, and stuffed more fettuccine in her mouth. "I know what you're thinking. What's the catch, right?" As Emma side-eyed her in slight amusement, she merely swallowed and dismissively waved her fork in the air. "And, well, I guess Beach City can get sort of weird with the gem stuff. But you get used to it after a while. Rose and her friends do their job and the town stays safe."

Emma kind of got stuck on one part of that sentence. "Gem stuff?" she asked, thinking back to the pink stone in Rose's navel.

Vidalia just shrugged. "Rose will probably explain it to you better than I can when you visit the temple tomorrow," she said, reaching for her drink on the coffee table. "Enough about Beach City, though, let's get to the good stuff."

"The good stuff" was a back-and-forth of get-to-know-you questions, which was actually kind of fun. They both liked the color yellow, rock and instrumental music, breakfast food, and grilled cheese. Vidalia wasn't much of a reader but she did like fantasy and supernatural things, so Emma was tempted to leave her copy of _Sorcerer's Stone_ lying around for her to find. She worked at the T-shirt shop right across from The Big Donut, but her dream job when she was Emma's age was to be a tattoo artist. After high school, she got some training, but it kind of fizzled out when Sour Cream came around.

They ended up back in the kitchen, throwing away their trash while Vidalia joked to her about using her classmates' arms and freckles as doodle canvases. Emma laughed along, trying not to think of the star Lily had colored into her wrist.

"You're not going to make me go to school, are you?" she asked, half-serious as her laughter started to die down.

Lucky for her, Vidalia made a face at the very thought.

"Nah, in the middle of the semester?" she said, wrinkling her nose. "Besides, it's probably too much paperwork. Can't be bothered. And if anyone's too concerned, we'll just say that you're homeschooled. I can always send you off to the Buddwick Public Library if your brain starts turning to goo."

She headed out of the kitchen and turned off the lights, hesitating a bit as she returned to the family room.

"Do we even _have_ a high school nearby? I have a kid now, I should probably know that…"

Emma stifled a giggle, uncertain if she was actually serious or not. No school? Just a boardwalk, beach, and arcade? Maybe this was more of a spring break type of place after all. Not that she minded. It wasn't like she'd ever had a steady public education in her life.

It was getting late, so Vidalia reviewed the roommate guidelines with her for a few minutes while giving her a brief tour of the house. Sour Cream was a heavy sleeper and not much of a crier, she informed Emma, but was she okay with sleeping across the hall from a toddler?

Emma was totally okay with it, having had noisier neighbors in group homes, so Vidalia showed her to the guest room. It used to be her painting room until Greg made a habit of crashing on the couch; now she had an art workshop set up in her garage instead. They both stood in the doorway, surveying the inside. It had navy walls, a window, and a single bed with a band poster on one side and a nightstand on the other. Above the nightstand was a small square mirror, which reflected the dartboard on the opposite wall.

"There's not a whole lot goin' on in here," Vidalia said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "But as long as we're roommates, it's yours to personalize however you want."

Heading over to the bed, Emma dropped her bag on the mattress and let herself smile.

"It's awesome," she said softly, turning back to face her. "Thanks, Vidalia."

Vidalia, beaming, uncrossed her arms and pushed herself off the doorframe, then gave a carefree gesture somewhere between a wave and a salute. "Night, roomie," she said, before slipping into the hallway and closing the door behind her.

Emma was still smiling to herself, lying in bed that night and turning on her side to stare out at the stars. One looked particularly bright and she briefly wondered if it hadn't granted her birthday wish. Even if this was all just a dream, it was a pretty good one, and she wasn't yet ready to fall asleep.

Roommate. Roomie. It sounded better than foster kid or foster mother, at least in her opinion. More independent, more mature. She wasn't depending on someone who was pretending to love her like she was her own daughter. She was a tenant, a roommate, maybe even a friend.

As long as this wasn't another Lily situation, she could live with that.

* * *

Beach City was still there when Emma woke up the next morning, so after humbly accepting Vidalia's offer of breakfast (the woman had Pop-Tarts!), she took to the streets and started exploring.

It felt more real to her in the morning, but everything still seemed cool. There was Funland two or three blocks behind Vidalia's, down by the docks and the water tower. A storage shelter, an inn, a bike shop, a Crab Shack. The "It's A Wash" car wash hidden in the far corner of town, lit by a neon elephant sign. More residential houses than she expected. She turned onto Crawford and kept walking.

A movie theater! A book shop! …Aqua Mexican? And there was that Buddwick Public Library that Vidalia mentioned. She even passed a music shop, a candy store called Danny's, and an ice cream parlor before she reached the boardwalk. It was like a kid designed this town in their dreams – not that Emma was complaining. It reminded her of a more wholesome version of Pleasure Island from _Pinocchio_ (at least she didn't think she'd be turning into a donkey anytime soon).

Nonetheless, she only scoped out the Funland Arcade games for about fifteen minutes before she gave into her grumbling stomach. Apparently she'd walked off the Pop-Tart by now. Luckily she could smell something delicious just next door. Emma looked hopefully across the street at her options before heading straight to Beach Citywalk Fries.

"Hi there!" said the man behind the counter, who was wearing either an elaborate fry hat on his head or only a visor and his hair was just _like_ _that_. "What'll it be?"

Emma took a moment to consider. Ordinarily she would go for the fries, maybe have them loaded down with bacon or chili and be on her way, but Vidalia's suggestion from last night surged to mind. "I was told you guys make amazing onion rings," she said.

"You were told right," the fry man said cheerfully. "Amazing onion rings, coming right up." As he tended to the fryer, he called back to her, "Beach City doesn't get a lot of tourists in October. Are you visiting someone or just passing through?"

"Yeah, Vidalia," Emma replied easily. This was probably the kind of town where everybody knew everybody. "Some things came up back home, so she's letting me stay with her for a while rent-free. We worked out a whole chore and babysitting arrangement thing."

The fry man did a double-take. "I can see the family resemblance."

Emma just laughed. That was a quasi-cover story she and Vidalia had been considering this morning. Since they looked so alike, people were going to assume Emma was a relative, a cousin or a sister she never knew about. Unless they specifically asked, there was no real need to correct them. After all, you never know. They couldn't negate it for sure that she wasn't since Emma didn't know who her parents were. ("Hey, I don't know what my dad's been up to in the past twenty years," Vidalia had said with a shrug.)

Soon the fry man returned with a bulging paper sack, the bottom gloriously greasy. She paid him with her Big Donut change from last night, silently saying thanks again to Barb. The man looked at her a little expectantly as she dug out an onion ring and took a big bite.

Crunchy fatty flavor immediately overwhelmed her senses. She scarfed down the rest of it in seconds, wondering how she'd gone all these years without experiencing onion rings quite like this.

"Oh my God," she mumbled happily.

He beamed out at her as he shuffled the money. "Call me Fryman," he said jovially. "I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of each other."

"Yes we are," Emma managed through a mouthful of onion ring.

She thanked him and headed down the boardwalk with literally her new favorite side dish ever. Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten a whole lot in the week since she'd run away from Ingrid and everything tasted better when she was hungry. But also Vidalia was right and those were _amazing_ onion rings.

She passed Fish Stew Pizza, which also smelled awesome despite the questionable title, and the bear claw haven that was The Big Donut, and padded onto the sandy beach while contentedly indulging herself. Just ahead was the bench from last night. Emma slowed in her tracks as everything from last night really hit her. Beyond the bench, farther down at the edge of the beach, was a big cliff or dune-like structure that curved around. She could see a giant stone hand peeking around the edge.

"_Please come by the temple tomorrow if you can – the one just beyond the cliff by the beach. I want you to meet everyone."_

"_Rose will probably explain it to you better than I can when you visit the temple tomorrow."_

Was that the temple?

Emma couldn't ignore the curiosity that stirred from the moment she spotted that hand. She'd never really been anywhere this cool and mysterious when she wasn't on the run. Nowhere that she could stop to explore for very long. But here and now, she felt her legs carrying her around the bend until the hand turned into an arm, and another, a stone carving draped in moss.

Rose had invited her, after all, so it was at least worth checking to see if anyone was home.

She followed the curve until she found an upward sloping path that led into what looked like a cave, cupped by the stone carving's hands. Four of them, anyway. The carving was of the biggest woman Emma had ever seen, mountain-sized with curls and ringlets just like Rose's but shorter, and four pairs of arms. The entrance to the temple was placed perfectly at the goddess-like figure's navel, where Rose's gem would be.

Taking a deep breath, Emma blinked herself out of a skeptical trance and trekked up the slope to the temple entrance. As she drew closer, the insides sparkled out at her invitingly. There were gems jutting out of the shimmering purple walls, and a round crystalline platform in the center of the room. Behind it stood a single door, grandiose and embedded with five bright jewels – one for every point of a star.

A lot of beautiful things – but no Rose?

Emma hesitated once she reached the top, falling back and hovering a little awkwardly by the left thumb. Should she, like, go up there or something? Knock? Somehow the thought of it felt a little weird to her. Knocking on a mystical gem door. Seemed even sillier to wait.

Unsure of what to do now, she turned back around and started to head for the beach. She hadn't gone more than a few steps before a strange sound made her stop in her tracks. She didn't know how to describe it – it was something like a cross between a whistle and a hollow ring, or the music made with wine glasses. The sound startled her enough that she jolted and leapt aside, almost tripping over the temple goddess's finger. Quickly she steadied herself and hid behind the left thumb again, before hesitantly peeking around.

There, on the once-empty crystalline platform, stood Rose Quartz – and three other figures somewhat eclipsed by her giant form. She and a smaller purple figure were laughing about something, while another one shrieked and shook her dainty arm. Odd, neon-colored bugs dropped to the ground and scuttled in various directions. The purple figure followed some in one direction and shoved a handful into her mouth, earning a small sound of disgust from the dainty skinny figure.

The rest of the bugs scurried out of the temple, and Emma failed to muffle a tiny squawk as some of them crawled over her shoes. Dancing away from the creepy creatures, she swept them off of the slope with a good kick—

"Emma?"

She jumped at the voice and instinctively ducked behind the thumb once more, but curiosity got the better of her and she shifted a few inches to the side.

Rose was standing at the entrance, her hands clasped in joyful excitement.

"Oh, you made it!" she all but squealed. Descending a step, she reached out a hand to her. "Please, come in. I'd like you to meet everyone."

Suddenly overcome with an inexplicable wave of shyness, Emma felt like someone had turned her shoes into cinderblocks. She was sure she only really started moving with the help of Rose's guiding hand on her shoulder. Together they entered the crystal temple, and once she was satisfied that she'd successfully herded Emma in, Rose glided to the side of the center crystalline platform's staircase with a huge smile on her face.

"Everyone," she said grandly, "this… is Emma."

Emma's breath caught as three unearthly beings stared back at her from the top of the platform, all of them different in color and in stature. One small like a child, with periwinkle-colored skin and short pale lavender hair. Another peach-haired and ivory-skinned, her ballerina-like body delicate but her expression not so much. The third tall, curvy, and maroon-skinned, with a square afro the color of eggplant and a glinting visor over an even brighter smile.

For all their differences, they had one thing in common – like Rose, each of them had a gem. The small one had a purple stone on her chest, half-obscured by her shirt. The ballerina's white gem was just above her furrowed eyebrows. And Emma had caught a glimpse of two red stones in the tall one's palms when they flew up to cover her mouth.

She blinked a couple of times, trying to make sense of everything. And why were they all staring at her like that—?!

"Okay, that's it," the purple one announced, studying her hair as she twirled a lock of it on her finger. "The next time I poof—"

"Amethyst, you shouldn't be looking forward to that," said the ballerina, arms folded in disapproval.

Amethyst just shrugged. "It's gonna happen, P. Least we can do is be prepared for it."

"Knowing you, that's probably the case…"

"Pearl, Amethyst," said the third, "you haven't properly introduced yourselves to Rose's new human friend."

Rose delicately covered a good-natured chuckle. "That's alright, Garnet. At least they aren't trying to throw her over the fence this time," she teased.

A faint blush bloomed in Garnet's cheeks as she grinned sheepishly at Rose, before quickly sobering again. "Of course not," she said, adjusting her visor and turning her attention back to Emma. "That's no way to handle a little princess."

Emma faltered a little, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Princess? She didn't really get that one a lot, and when she did it was usually someone like Deirdre from the group home sneering at her for thinking she could sing or get adopted or have the last slice of pizza. But while Garnet had said it with some amusement, it sounded kind of genuine and like she was chuckling about a funny inside joke. Not making fun of her or anything.

"What are you guys…?" Emma said softly.

Despite her embarrassing tactlessness, Rose merely flashed her an encouraging smile. "These are my friends," she said, and gestured to each one respectively. "Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. We are the Crystal Gems." She nodded to her friends, and gestured to Emma. "Crystal Gems, meet Emma Swan."

The ballerina with the (in retrospect) rather obvious pearl on her forehead just crossed her arms, her stare focused on Emma in an almost calculative squint. But Amethyst's eyes immediately lit up as a broad grin spread across her face.

"Oh wait-wait-wait, watch this!" she said, then threw her arms out wide and did a flying leap into the air. The moment she took flight, a dazzling effulgence engulfed her body and all at once it began to change shape. Her neck and arms stretched, her fingers became feathers, and then Emma was lurching back with a gasp because a huge purple bird was flying straight at her face.

The bird burst out laughing, flapping her wings proudly about as she circled Emma's head.

"Look!" she hollered. "_AME_-SWAN!"

Roaring with more laughter, the purple swan flew in triumphant circles for a moment before coming into a landing next to a particularly unimpressed Pearl. Emma, on the other hand, finally registered the swan with the amethyst embedded in her chest and started to freak out a little.

"How — how'd you _do_ that?!" she sputtered.

This didn't seem like a dream anymore. The pins-and-needles shock thrumming under her skin felt just as real as the fear from when she was staring down the headlights of that car. But what she'd just seen… wasn't it totally impossible? People transforming into _birds_?

"That's shapeshifting," said Garnet, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. "It's a special ability we can do with our gems, to alter our physical forms however we choose."

Emma was still struggling to make sense of this, while Amethyst flashed sporadically between forms. Swan. Owl. Cat. Crab. Crocodile. Skateboard? She apparently liked that one, happily wheeling around Emma a few times and doing tricks, including a cool flip off the crystalline platform ("Amethyst, stop that!"). But Emma was wrapped up too deep in her thoughts to laugh at her antics.

All of this was seriously happening right here in front of her eyes. And it was awesome, but…

"So, what, magic is real?" Emma blurted out, staring dumbfounded at the Crystal Gems and then questioningly at Rose. "Ingrid was right, she wasn't crazy? People can have magical powers?"

"Don't be silly, _Miss_ _Swan_," said Pearl, swiftly turning up her nose. "_People _can't have magical abilities. Only gems can. For instance, we are able to shapeshift because our bodies are made of light. But you are a human." She pointed a finger at Emma, mouth curved in a wry half-smirk. "Is your body made of light, Miss Swan?"

Emma frowned back at her, not appreciating the smug lecturing tone she'd used. And what was with that Miss Swan stuff? Who did she think she was, her elementary school teacher?

"I don't think so," she replied.

"Hm." Pearl gave a nod of satisfaction. "Humans - aren't - magic." She posed with each word and began to lightheartedly dance around the room.

This must be a regular activity for Pearl, because Garnet and Amethyst looked relatively unfazed as they watched her (the latter was in her usual form and mindlessly munching on something, maybe more bugs?). But Emma wrinkled her nose and clutched her onion ring bag, wondering exactly what her deal was. Possibly remembering their conversation from last night, Rose turned away from the dancing and beamed at Emma.

"They don't have to be," she said, walking over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Humans are incredible just as they are. But I believe there's something extra special about Emma." Lifting her chin, she turned to her friends and added with confidence, "That's why I'm going to be looking after her from now on."

Pearl stopped her dance in mid-leap. "_Wha-at?" _she cried, losing her balance and wobbling before promptly falling on her face.

"What…?" Emma echoed, a bit quieter but just as curious, and looked at Rose expectantly.

Rose was undeterred by half her audience's reaction (Garnet looked thoughtful and Amethyst was just kind of picking her nose). She stepped forward, hands clasped as fond reflection took over her face.

"Emma and I made quite the connection last night," she informed them, "and I think she's a very interesting person. So many hardships she's had to endure, people who don't understand her, no home or family. And still she… she keeps on." Rose spared her a fond look and a smile over her shoulder, then turned back to her friends as her voice grew softer. "She just needs somewhere to belong, and I say that's with us."

"Rose, what are you saying?" Pearl practically wheezed, appearing at the bottom of the steps next to Rose. She flushed with embarrassment, but cleared her throat and laughed it off nervously. "Look, you know I greatly admire your love for humans, and I think Greg is – really _something—"_

Amethyst snorted with laughter; Garnet cracked a half-smile and looked the other way.

"—but this is a young human girl," Pearl finished, pointedly ignoring them. "We don't have the time or the means to take care of her."

"Yes, Greg already reminded me last night. Growing teenaged girls need food and suitable shelter, which… we don't always have," Rose amended sheepishly. Amethyst munched loudly on something, making crumbs fly everywhere. "So Greg and I arranged for her to stay with Vidalia for the time being." She paused, and looked more thoughtful. "But they also need a lot of support, and guidance, and someone they can go to who can teach them a better understanding about the world."

"Which she can also get from Vidalia," Pearl reasoned, smiling helpfully, "who is a human like her."

"Maybe," Rose said, seeming a tad oblivious to Pearl's objections. "But who better to teach her the wonders of life on Earth than someone who's lived here for thousands of years?"

Pearl raised a finger and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing really came out. She let her hand drop in defeat, just kind of stood there looking vaguely miffed and perplexed. Behind her, Garnet came down the platform steps followed by Amethyst.

"Any friend of Rose Quartz is a friend of mine," Garnet said, and extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Emma. I think we should expect great things from you."

Emma shook it, intrigued. "Was that a Harry Potter reference?"

Garnet shrugged, somehow managing to give her a blank stare from behind her shades. "It's an Emma reference," she replied cryptically.

She was trying to figure that one out when suddenly Amethyst's crunching grew more noticeable and was punctuated by a burp. Pearl made a prim little sound of distaste and wrinkled her brow at the smaller gem. "What are you eating now?" she said with a small exasperated sigh, and shuddered slightly. "It smells… _fried_."

Emma stole a quick peek into the paper sack still in her loosened grip, now mostly filled with crumbs and grease. She looked back up at Amethyst, a little dumbfounded. "Did you take my onion rings?"

"Amethyst!" Garnet said sternly.

"Whaaaat?" Amethyst looked only vaguely abashed as she licked the crumbs off her fingers. "At least we know she has good taste!"

"You are a gem. You don't need to eat like she does."

"But I like to! See? We already have so much in common!"

Emma was more impressed than she was offended. "It's okay, really," she said, and then leaned in and whispered for only Amethyst to hear, "but you've gotta show me how to swipe food like that without getting caught."

Amethyst went absolutely starry-eyed. "Alright. That's it. We're keeping her." She covered her mouth to whisper back, "Pay me in junk food and I'll teach you everything I know."

"Deal!" she said exuberantly. Shouldn't be a problem; popcorn, snack cakes, or onion rings were a cheap price for skill-building.

Feeling generous, she offered her the leftover bits and crumbs – and didn't expect her to literally eat the entire bag, but whatever. Rose gave an unconcerned giggle while Garnet calmly explained gem digestive systems, which transformed into a conversation about gems' physical forms and how they worked. And Emma found herself actually not being weirded out or anything, only totally engrossed by the realness and complexity of it.

These guys, these Crystal Gems… they were pretty cool. She was really starting to like them – and they liked her. Well, most of them.

Emma cast a sideways glance at Pearl, who'd drifted over to brood in a corner with her arms crossed, and forced herself to ignore it as she joked with Amethyst about raiding the dumpster at the Big Donut (though on second thought Amethyst might not have been joking). If Pearl had a problem with her, that was fine. She didn't care that much. She had a good thing going here, and she planned on making the best of it.

This time, she was going to stick around.


End file.
